


Karalius

by rainbowdracula



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Established Relationship, Hannibal is Not a Cannibal, M/M, Minor Character Death, alternative universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-03
Updated: 2015-02-03
Packaged: 2018-03-10 08:47:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,315
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3284219
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rainbowdracula/pseuds/rainbowdracula
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hannibal is lord of his kingdom, and a good lord protects what is his. At any price.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Karalius

**Author's Note:**

> Not for Matthew Brown lovers, though he's not really the important part. The character death is not very graphically described (in my opinion.) Technically based off a really old kink meme prompt I posted all the way back in season one.

Wealth was not something Will was used to.

 

Money was a mythic thing growing up – there would be no problems if they had a little cash. No more drinking, no more moving, no more fights or mean boys at school. Their houses wouldn't be shacks, and Christmases would not be family tragedies in miniature.

 

His college sociology classes told him that a little bit of money didn't mean too much, that their socioeconomic class wouldn't have been effected by an extra twenty at the end of the month. But that frugalness stayed with him, into a minimalist life and a bloated savings' account.

 

Hannibal did not budget himself, in any aspect of his life – from his house to his office to his hobbies to his clothes to his _meals._ It seemed offensive to his very being. Will couldn't have imagined such excess before he met his doctor. His great stone house stood like a castle upon its quiet street, seeming to stand taller than the rest by benefit of its king. And Hannibal was a king, lord of that land of indulgence and comforts.

 

"This is our house," Hannibal had told him that snowy night two became one, yet Will never felt like the house was his, fully. It was Hannibal's, in every way that mattered, and Will was naught but his consort.

 

Hannibal was a good king, his calm and resolute lover. What nightmare vision could withstand the soft whispers of pillow words and gentle caresses? There was no beast his love could not slain, for his kind doctor seemed miles and miles away from his work.

 

Until he wasn't.

 

*

 

_The Copycat Killer has been operating in the Chesapeake region for close to three years..._

There was a new face at the Baltimore opera.

 

_His name comes from the fact his kills mimic those of other famous serial killers..._

Hannibal takes him to every performance, showing him off to all his friends. Will liked the performances, but the socialization bit afterwards left him flustered and embarrassed.

 

"This is my partner, Will, he just wrote that new criminology book..."

 

_His MO indicates that he feels like he is ignored in his day to day life, and longs for the recognition that these other killers have experienced..._

He was a young man, handsome and self-assured as he did the proper hobnobbing with the proper people. He made his way over to them with a wide grin.

 

"Matthew Brown," he introduced. "New manager at the Baltimore Hospital for the Criminally Insane."

 

"Ah, you've found friends then," Hannibal said. "Doctor Hannibal Lecter, psychiatrist. And this is my partner Will Graham, a criminal profiler."

 

Matthew Brown viewed Will with bright, curious eyes.

 

_The Copycat Killer is meticulous and well organized to the point of obsession. Not only does he perfectly replicate his chosen scene, he does it without a single shred of evidence. However, at the end of the day, he is simply a mimic._

"You wrote _Serial Killing 101,"_ Matthew Brown said. "I just finished reading it. I could barely put it down."

 

"Thank you," Will murmured. He had fought long and hard with his publisher over the title, finding her choice far too sensationalistic, but she ended up being right – it certainly captured the attention.

 

_Simply a mimic._

"I especially enjoyed the chapter on the Copycat Killer," Matthew Brown said. "Hard to believe that he lurks in our backyards, huh?"

"Very much so," Will replied. "That's why that chapter was last."

 

_A mimic._

*

 

"Are you coming to bed?"

 

Hannibal was not one to sleep much – it took quite a lot of work to be Hannibal Lecter, after all. He was at his heavy wooden desk, scratching out some concerto with his elegant fountain pen. There were three great windows behind him, billowy curtains open to show the stars and the full, fat silver moon.

 

Will stood in the doorway, barefoot with Winston about his heels. His hair was disheveled, a yawn constantly at his lips. Hannibal looked at him with overwhelming fondness.

 

"Of course, my love," he said, rising and embracing Will. His embrace did not lessen when they finally made it to the canopied bed, lights off and their heartbeats synced. Hannibal kissed his face until Will drifted off, warm and content.

 

He awoke alone and cold, with rustling noises coming from downstairs. He sat up in bed and turned on the bedside lamp, letting warm light tumbled through the room.

 

"Hannibal?" he called. In his bed in the corner, Winston stirred. "Hannibal?"

 

Hannibal appeared in the doorway, robe draped around his shoulders and hair ruffled. He seem perturbed when he returned to Will's side.

 

"I heard some noise out in the garden," he explained. "And with those recent break-ins, I was quite concerned."

 

"You shouldn't have gone out there alone," Will scolded. Hannibal hummed, and switched off the light. They were plunged back into the murky darkness, only the thinnest silver light coming through their heavy curtains.

 

"I will have our security system improved this weekend," Hannibal said, mostly to himself. Will gripped his wrist.

 

"Go to sleep," he said, and they did.

 

*

 

_Hannibal and I have been together for five years. We were introduced by a mutual friend, Alana Bloom, and immediately hit it off..._

There were sirens at his house, where the window in the kitchen had been smashed out. He loved that window, it overlooked the rich greenery of the garden that was beautiful even in the snow. The dark night was cut by the red and blue lights, illuminating Will where he sat on the steps.

 

_He has never once shown any sort of aggression or violence towards me or anyone else. He's a sweet man, he just wanted to protect me..._

They were bringing the dead man out of the living room – Matthew Brown, the Copycat.

 

"You understand," he breathed, knife to Will's throat, before his head jerked.

 

_He just wanted to protect me. The man was going to kill me, he wanted me to be his first unique murder._

Hannibal had big hands, strong and sure hands that knew Will intimately. How often had he seen those big hands in the kitchen, confidant grip on the handle of a sharp knife, and how often had he had those big hands on his body, making him sing?

 

And now he knew those big hands could rip a man's soul from his body with no trouble.

 

_He did this for me._

"Darling."

 

Hannibal's thumb stroked along his cheekbone, his face soft and kind like he was soothing Will after a nightmare. Will wasn't quite sure that he wasn't going to wake up and have it be time for breakfast.

 

"I'm alright," Will assured. "Are you okay?"

 

Hannibal seemed to be his usual calm and composed self, like he did not snap a man's neck in their living room. Like he didn't kill someone.

 

"Now that I know you are safe, love," Hannibal murmured, drawing him into his arms. "Seeing that man's hands upon you...I have never known fear like that, before."

 

 _Not showing signs of trauma,_ the treacherous part of his mind whispered. He shushed it, and curled deeper into Hannibal's arms. He thought of tomorrow's headline – _Copycat Killer Attacks Famous Crime Writer! Saved By Heroic Partner!_ Freddie Lounds was already scribbling out her Tattlecrime article, simultaneously enamored and disgusted by Will's insight.

 

"The security system guys are coming tomorrow," Will laughed, dancing on the edge of hysteria. Hannibal ran his fingers through Will's messy curls.

 

"I will never let anything bad happen to you," Hannibal promised. "I will keep you safe."

 

Will buried his face in Hannibal's collar, choked sobs coming from his throat as the red-blue-red lights illuminated the front of their stone house and splashed across the quiet street. They were wheeling out Matthew Brown's body in a white bag, and Hannibal smiled.

 

Order had been restored.

**Author's Note:**

> An important part of Hannibal's character, to me, is his sense of self-importance. He's nobility, intelligent, and high class, and thus most people are beneath him. Even 'normal dude' Hannibal, without the cannibalism and manipulation, should have this sense of self-importance in order to be Hannibal to me. Thus I wanted a story where an otherwise sweet tempered and loving Hannibal shows no real remorse for killing someone who threatened his lover and invaded his home.
> 
> "Karalius" is the Lithuanian word for king.
> 
> Find me at rainbowdracula.tumblr.com, where I post everything under the sun.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [(Podfic) Karalius](https://archiveofourown.org/works/4809671) by [Hannibible-and-The-Holy-Graham (Just_East)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Just_East/pseuds/Hannibible-and-The-Holy-Graham)




End file.
